Alarm control mechanism



.Oct. 25, 1966 s, Po o s ETAL 3,280,547

ALARM CONTROL MEGHANI SM 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 25, 1965 INVENTORS LPOLONSKY BARTLEY E. KING THEIR ATTORNEY w wE SAMUE 1966 s. POLONSKY ETAL3,280,547

ALARM CONTROL MECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 25, 1965 AUTO RADIOFIG. 3

INVENTORS SAMUEL POLONSKY BARTLEY E. KING THEIR ATTORNEY Oct. 25, 1966s. POLQNSKY ETAL 3,

ALARM CONTROL MECHANISM Filed May 25, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 UnitedStates Patent 3,280,547 ALARM CONTROL MECHANISM Samuel Polonslry,Medway, and Bartley E. King, Nor- Wood, Mass, assignors to GeneralElectric Company, a corporation of New York Filed May 25, 1965. Ser. No.458,639 9 Claims. (Cl. 5822.5)

facing surfaces of both the hour hand gear and the L alarm gear so thatthe hour hand gear is cammed axially away from the alarm gear at thealarm time. This axial motion of the hour hand gear is employed totrigger the alarm. Once the rotational position of the alarm gear hasbeen established by the alarm set pinion, it cannot thereafter bechanged without establishing a completely new alarm time. Suppose, forexample, that the user is in the habit of arising at 7:00 a.m. and thathis clock radio is set for such time. If, for one morning only, hedesires to arise at 6:30 am, it is necessary for him to set the alarmgear to the new time with the alarm set pinion and, thereafter, to resetthe gear to its original position.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to providea mechanism for permitting a semi-permanent predetermined variation inthe alarm setting of a clock structure. Other objects are to providesuch a mechanism which is simple and easily adjustable and which employsa lever and detent arrangement of improved construction.

The manner in which the foregoing objects are achieved will be moreapparent from the following description, the appended claims, and thefigures of the attached drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a portion of a clock structure inaccordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is a front view of a portion of the face of a clock radioembodying this invention;

FIG. 3 is a front view of a clock radio mechanism with the front faceremoved and other portions broken away to illustrate the internalconstruction, the alarm mechanism being in the cocked position;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3, but with the alarm mechanism in thereleased position;

FIG. 5 is a cross section taken along the line 5--5 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a cross section taken along the line 66 of FIG. 4; and

FIGS. 7-9 are views similar to FIG. 6 illustrating the operation of thelever and detent.

In the present invention there is provided an alarm set lever which isoperatively connected to the alarm gear by means of a friction clutch. Adetent associated with the lever permits the alarm gear to be adjustedto vary the alarm time by preselected increments, without necessitatingadjustment of the alarm set pinion.

The drawings illustrate portions of a clock assembly as found in a clockradio. However, it will be understood that this is solely for purposesof illustration. The invention is usable with any type of timermechanism. A,

3,230,547 Patented Get. 25, 1966 is cut away to form an arcuate edge 18concentric with the shaft opening 12 and interrupted by radial recesses2011-2202. A shaft and sleeve stack extends through the shaft opening12, as is shown most clearly in FIG. 5. The stack includes a centralsweep second hand shaft 22, having a sweep second hand 24 mounted at itsends; a minute hand sleeve 26 surrounding the sweep second hand shaftand carrying at its outer end the minute hand 28; an hour hand sleeve 36surrounding the minute hand sleeve and carrying hour hand 32 at itsouter end and an hour hand gear 34 at its inner end; and an alarm handsleeve 36 carrying an alarm hand 38 at its outer end and an alarm gear44 at its inner end. The central portion of alarm hand sleeve 36includes an annular recess forming a shoulder 46, against which isseated the small end of a conical compression spring 42. The alarm gear44- is similar to the hour hand gear 34 but in reversed relationship ontheir respective shafts. Each gear is cut and formed to provide a pairof raised cam surfaces designated by the letters a and b. The two camsurfaces of each gear are diametrically positioned on the gear and thecam surfaces 34a, 44a are positioned greater radial distances from thecenters of their respective gears than the cam surfaces 34b, 44b.

Positioned between the front plate and the alarm gear 44 is awasher-like clutch disc 46 which includes an axially extending tab 48which extends through the guideway 14. An alarm set lever 50 having acircular opening 51 in one end is mounted to rotate about the alarm handsleeve 36 on the outer surface of the front plate 10. The alarm setlever 5d includes an offset portion 52 so that the inner end or" thelever bears directly against the front plate 10. The lever 54 is ofresilient metal and its outer end 54 is bent inwardly to engage thefront plate 10 adjacent the arcuate edge 18. The inner end of the lever56 includes a rectangular opening 56 which is aligned with guideway 14to receive the end of tab 48 therein. Positioned against the alarm setlever 50, and also encircling the alarm hand sleeve 36, is a washer 58.The larger end of the conical spring 42 is seated against the washer 58so that it is compressed between this washer and shoulder of the alarmhand sleeve 36. The outer end of the alarm set lever includes a controlpin 60 and knob 62 designed to project from the front of the clock face.In addition, the outer end 54 includes a detent arranged to interactwith the radial recesses 26a- 208. This detent is formed by the removalof two portions of the outer end 54 to leave a central web 64. The web 64 is narrower than the recesses 20a-20e and is shaped to provide aninwardly directed projection 66. Pressed from the metal of the alarm setlever 50 at either side of the projection 66 is a left boss 68 and aright boss 70.

The hour hand gear 34 and the alarm gear 44, together with the remaininggear train (which is not illustrated) are mounted in the conventionalmanner between the front plate 10 and aback plate 72. The front and backplates are secured in parallel spaced relationship by means of screws 74and spacers 75. An alarm set pinion 76 is rotatably positioned to meshwith the alarm gear 44 and is manually controlled by a shaft 78 whichextends to the rear of the clock assembly.

A pin 80 extends between the front plate 10 and back plate 72 andincludes a collar 82 (FIG. 5) upon which is pivotally mounted an alarmlatch member 84. Also pivotally mounted on pin 80, but forward of collar82 and behind a cylindrical spacer 86, is an alarm trip plate 88. A studextends from the alarm lat-ch member 84 and supports one end of atension coil spring 92. The other end of coil spring 92 is secured to ancar 94 formed in the trip plate 88. The pivot opening 81 in trip plate88, which surrounds the pin 80, is enlarged so that the extreme outerend 96 tends to bear resiliently against the inner surface of frontplate 10. A projection from this outer end 96 forms a catch 98 which isarranged to extend through the latch opening 16 in the front plate 10.Intermediate the outer end 96 of the trip plate 88 and pin 80 is anotherextension which forms a trigger 100. The trigger 100 bears resilientlyagainst the face of the hour hand gear 34, as shown in FIG. 5. The alarmlatch member 84 also includes an alarm latch projection 102 whichextends through an opening 104 in back plate 72 in line with an car 106on a resilient vibrator arm 108. One end of vibrator arm 108 is fixed tothe back plate '72 while the free end is adjacent a pole piece 110extending from the core 112 of the clock motor which includes a fieldcoil 114.

In a clock of this type, the alarm is prevented from sounding byrotating the alarm latch member 84 clockwise (as seen in FIG. 3) aboutthe pin 80, so that the alarm latch projection 102 bears upwardlyagainst the ear 106, thus raising the vibrator arm 108 away from thepole piece 110. The alarm latch member 84 and the alarm trip plate 88rotate as a single unit and, when in this clockwise position, the catch98 on the outer end 96 of the alarm trip plate extends through the latchopening 16. The natural resiliency of vibrator arm 108 exerts a downwardforce tending to retain the catch 98 within the latch opening. It willalso be seen from FIG. that the trigger 100 bears against the innersurface of the hour hand gear 34.

The alarm time is conventionally set by manually rotating the shaft 78which turns the alarm set pinion 76. This, in turn, rotates alarm gear44, the alarm hand sleeve 36, and the alarm hand 38. The alarm hand isset for the alarm time desired as shown in the clock face. The hour handgear 34 of the clock mechanism rotates in the usual manner until thecams 34a, 34b intercept the cams 44a, 44b. As rotation continues, thesecams retract the hour hand gear 34 and its associated sleeve 30. Thisforces the trigger 100 of the alarm trip plate inwardly, tilting alarmtrip plate 88 about pin 80 against the force of spring 92. This motioncontinues until the catch 98 is released from the latch opening 16. Thenormal resiliency of the vibrator arm 108 then forces the alarm latchprojection 102 downward, displacing the latch assembly as shown in FIG.4 and freeing the vibrator arm 108 to vibrate against the-pole piece 110giving an alarm.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided an additionalmechanism for varying the alarm time without adjusting the alarm setpinion 76. As will be seen from FIG. 5, the spring 42 exerts an outwardforce against the alarm hand sleeve 36 which, in turn, is secured to thealarm gear 44. The alarm gear is thus caused to bear against the clutchdisc 46. Assume, further, that the alarm time has been previouslyadjusted by means of the alarm set pinion 76 in the usual manner withthe alarm set lever 50 positioned with its projection 66 in the centralradial recess 200. When the alarm gear 44 is so rotated, the alarm setlever remains in position, as does the clutch disc 46. The alarm gearrotates against the friction of the clutch disc. If it is now desired tocause the alarm to sound thirty minutes, for example after its normaltime, the lever 50 is moved until the projection 66 engages the recess20b. As the lever is thus advanced clockwise, the tab 48 on the clutchdisc 46 is also forced clockwise within guideway 14 by reason of itsengagement in opening 56. The spring-created friction between the clutchdisc 46 and the alarm gear 44, thus causes the alarm gear to be rotatedby an equal amount. In the disclosed embodiment, the are betweenadjoining ones of recesses 20a-20e corresponds to a time variation ofthirty minutes. In this manner, a variation of thirty minutes in thealarm time has been achieved without adjusting the alarm set pinion. Theadvantage of this is that by merely moving the alarm set lever 50 backinto engagement with recess 200, the alarm time is returned to itsoriginal setting.

The construction of the detent portion of the alarm set lever 50 isillustrated in FIGS. 6-9. From these illustrations it will be notedthat, when the lever is at rest, the bosses 68, 70 bear against theouter face of the front plate 10. When the control pin 60 is forced ineither of two opposite directions, one of the bosses 68, 70 will act asa fulcrum while the lever 50 is twisted to raise the projection 66 outof the recess. For example, in FIG. 7 the pin 60 is illustrated asforce-d to the right, causing the lever 50 to twist and rotate about theboss 70. The lever is then free toslide as shown in FIG. 8 until theresiliency of the lever causes the projection 66 to enter the adjacentrecess 20d.

FIG. 2 illustrates the way the alarm control of the invention mightappear when applied to a clock radio having a front panel 116. In thisembodiment, arcuately positioned indicia indicate alarm variations ofplus or minus thirty and sixty minutes, in conformity with the disclosedembodiment. Other intervals may, of course, be built into the mechanismif desired.

A number of advantages accrue from the present invention. For example,when built into a clock radio, in addition to merely changing the alarmsetting, the sounding of the alarm can be delayed for a preselectedperiod of time after the radio is energized by the automatic switch.Another use would be as a secondary alarm. When one person is awakenedhe can advance the lever so as to automatically aw-aken'another personat a later time. Other uses and advantages will readily suggestthemselves.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that a number ofvariations and modifications may be made in this invention withoutdeparting from its spirit and scope. For example, while the mechanismhas been described and illustrated as a control for a vibrator typealarm, it may also be employed to control other functions, such as theactuation of an alarm controlling electrical switch. Furthermore, inpractice the timer may be incorporated into a clock radio control andoperate to initially energize the radio and, thereafter, the vibrator.Accordingly, the foregoing description is intended to be illustrativeonly rather than limiting. The purpose of the appended claims is tocover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spiritand scope of the invention.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States is:

1. A function control mechanism for a timing device comprising: afunction gear selectively rotatable about an axis and having firstcamming means on one face; a timing gear adjacent said function gear andsubstantially continuously rotatable about said axis, said timing gearhaving second camming means on one face thereof for engagement with saidfirst camming means at a function time to axially displace said timinggear relative to said function gear along said axis; response means;response actuating means operable by axial displacement of said timinggear to actuate said response means; lever means mounted for pivotalrotation about said axis; detent means releasably engaging said levermeans in at least a first pivotal position; and friction clutch meansintermediate said lever means and function gear to permit rotation ofsaid function gear by said lever means but preventing rotation of saidlever means by said function gear when said detent means is engaged.

2. The mechanism of claim 1 wherein said response means is an alarm.

3. The mechanism of claim 1 wherein said timing gear is an hour handgear.

4. An alarm control mechanism for a timing device comprising: an alarmgear selectively rotatable about an axis and having first camming meanson one face; an hour hand gear adjacent said alarm gear andsubstantially continuously rotatable about said axis, said hour handgear having second camming means on one face thereof for engagement withsaid first camming means at an alarm time to axially displace said hourhand gear relative to said alarm gear along said axis; an alarm; meansoperable by axial displacement of said timing gear to actuate saidalarm; alarm set lever means mounted for pivotal rotation about saidaxis; detent means releasably engaging said lever means in at least afirst pivotal position; and friction clutch means intermediate saidlever means and alarm gear to permit rotation of said alarm gear by saidlever means but preventing rotation of said lever means by said alarmgear when said detent means is engaged.

5. An alarm control mechanism for a timing device comprising: asupporting plate having front and back surfaces and defining a shaftopening therethrough; an alarm hand shaft rotatably mounted within saidshaft opening and including a first end and a second end; an alarm handfixedly mounted on the first end of said alarm hand shaft spaced fromthe front surface of said plate; an alarm gear fixedly mounted on thesecond end of said alarm hand shaft, spaced from the back surface ofsaid plate; clutch means intermediate and in contact with both the backsurface of said support plate and said alarm gear, said clutch meansbeing rotatable about said shaft opening in frictional drivingrelationship to said alarm gear; alarm set pinion gear means in meshingengagement with said alarm gear; alarm set lever means selectivelyrotatable about said shaft opening, said lever means being operativelyconnected to rotate said clutch means about said shaft opening; springmeans positioned to force said alarm gear into frictional engagementwith said clutch means; and detent means intermediate said support plateand lever means to retain said lever means and clutch means in one of aplurality of preselected positions during rotation of said alarm gear bysaid alarm set pinion gear means.

6. An alarm control mechanism for a timing device comprising: a supportplate having front and back surfaces and defining a shaft openingtherethrough and an arcuate slot adjacent said shaft opening; an alarmhand shaft rotatably mounted within said shaft opening and including afirst end and a second end; an alarm hand fixedly mounted on the firstend of said alarm hand shaft, spaced from the front surface of saidplate; an alarm gear fixedly mounted on the second end of said alarmhand shaft, spaced from the back surface of said plate; annular clutchdis-c means rotatably mounted on said alarm hand shaft adjacent the backsurface of said plate and in frictional driving engagement with saidalarm gear; alarm set pinion gear means in meshing engagement with saidalarm gear; alarm set lever means selectively rotatable about said shaftopening; linkage means extending through the arcuate slot in saidsupport plate and operatively interconnecting said lever means and saidclutch disc means; and detent means intermediate said support plate andlever means to retain said lever means and clutch disc means in one of aplurality of preselected positions during rotation of said alarm gear bysaid alarm set pinion gear means.

7. An alarm control mechanism for a timing device comprising: a supportplate having front and back surfaces and defining a shaft openingtherethrough and an arcuate slot adjacent said shaft opening; an alarmhand sleeve shaft rotatably mounted within said shaft opening,

said sleeve shaft including a first end spaced from said front surface,a second end spaced from said back surface, and a shaft encirclingrecess intermediate said first end and said front surface; an alarm handfixedly mounted on the first end of said alarm hand shaft; an alarm gearfixedly mounted on the second end of said alarm hand shaft and includedfirst cam means thereon; annular clutch disc means rotatably mounted onsaid alarm hand shaft adjacent the back surface of said plate; tab meansextending from said clutch disc means through said arcuate slot; alarmset pinion gear means in meshing engagement with said alarm gear; alarmset lever means mounted against said front surface for selectiverotation about said alarm hand shaft; compression coil spring meansencircling said alarm shaft and extending between said recess and saidalarm set lever to force said alarm gear into frictional engagement withsaid clutch disc means; an hour hand shaft axially slidable, androtatably mounted, within said alarm hand shaft and extending outwardlyfrom both ends thereof; an hour hand fixedly mounted on one end of saidhour hand shaft adjacent said alarm hand; an hour hand gear fixedlymounted on the other end of said hour hand shaft adjacent said alarmgear and including second cam means thereon positioned to contact saidfirst cam means at an alarm time to axially displace said hour hand gearfrom said alarm gear; an alarm; means operable by axial displacement ofsaid hour hand gear to actuate said alarm; and detent means between saidalarm set lever and said support plate to selectively engage said leverin each of a plurality of positions.

8. The mechanism of claim 7 wherein said support plate defines aplurality of arcuately spaced detent recesses, wherein said alarm setlever means is resiliently twistable about its longitudinal axis, andwherein said detent means comprises: a projection extending from saidlever means and engageable with any selected one of said detentrecesses; first and second bosses extending outwardly from said levermeans to engage said support plate at either side of said selectedrecess; and control pin means extending outwardly from said lever meansand away from said support plate to pivotally twist said lever meansabout one of said bosses to release said projection from said selectedrecess.

9. A detent mechanism which comprises: a support plate defining aplurality of 'arcuately spaced recesses therein; lever means resilientlytwistable about its longitudinal axis, said lever means being pivotallymounted at a first end and having a second end movable along saidrecesses; a projection extending from said lever means and engageablewith any selected one of said recesses; first and second bossesextending outwardly from said lever means to engage said support plateat either side of said selected recess; and control pin means extendingoutwardly from said lever means and away from said plate to pivotallytwist said lever means about one of said bosses to release saidprojection from said selected recess.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,086,407 4/1963Reece 74533 3,152,229 10/1964 Sears 20038 RICHARD B, WILKINSON, PrimaryExaminer.

1. A FUNCTION CONTROL MECHANISM FOR TIMING DEVICE COMPRISING: A FUNCTIONGEAR SELECTIVELY ROTATABLE ABOUT AN AXIS AND HAVING FRIST CAMMING MEANSON ONE FACE; A TIMING GEAR ADJACENT SAID FUNCTION GEAR AND SUBSTANTIALLYCONTINUOUSLY ROTATABLE ABOUT SAID AXIS,SAID TIMING GEAR HAVING INGSECOND CAMMING MEANS ON ONE FACE THEREOF FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID FRISTCAMMING MEANS AT A FUNCTION TIME TO AXIALLY DISPLACE SAID TIMING GEARRELATIVE TO SAID FUNCTION GEAR ALONG SAID AXIS; BY AXIAL DISPLACEMENT OFSAID ACTUATING MEANS OPERABLE BY RESPONSE MEANS; LEVER MEANS TIMING GEARTO ACTUATE SAID RESPONSE MEANS; LEVER MEANS